1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to orthopedic implants, and more particularly, to orthopedic plates, as described in the preambles of the independent claims.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the treatment of a bone fracture, the fracture may be fixed by means of pins, screws, wires or plates after alignment of the individual bone fragments in their correct positions (repositioning). In particular, an osteosynthetic plate can be used which is fastened to the individual bone fragments by means of screws to hold the individual bone fragments in a fixed position with respect to one another.
According to Wolff's law and stress shielding theory, decreasing the loading on a bone, e.g. by means of an osteosynthetic plate, leads to weakening of the bone. Attempts have been made to develop osteosynthetic plates that are less rigid.